View source for Feral Shifter (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Author's Note: So... what do you call a flying rat?

{{author
|author_name=Ghostwheel
|date_created=July 30th, 2009
|status=Complete
|balance=Rogue
}}

[[Image:ManBat.jpg|thumb|270px|"I'm the goddamn Manbat!"]]

== Introduction ==

[[Summary::The ultimate in shifter savagery, your twin daggers become a part of your body as you tear through foes.]]

== References ==

*Unearthed Arcana
*Eberron Campaign Setting
*Races of Eberron
*Tome of Battle
*Complete Warrior
*Magic Item Compendium

== Game Rule Components ==

=== Progression ===

'''Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments):''' (Assuming 32 Point Buy)  10 16 14 12 16 8

'''Race:''' [[Race::Swiftwing Shifter]]

{| class="zebra d20" style="text-align: left;" {{#vardefine: odd|0}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
! rowspan="2" | ECL
! rowspan="2" | Class/HD/LA
! rowspan="2" | [[BAB|Base<br/>Attack Bonus]]
! colspan="3" | [[SRD:Saving Throw|Saving Throw]]s
! rowspan="2" | Feats
! rowspan="2" | Class<br/>Features
! rowspan="2" | Special
|- style="text-align: center;"
! [[SRD:Saving Throw#Fortitude|Fort]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Reflex|Ref]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Will|Will]]
|- 
| 1st || Swordsage 1 || +0 || +0 || +2 || +2 || Two-Weapon Fighting, Shadow Blade, Adaptive Style, Weapon Focus (Shadow Hand) || Quick to Act +1 ||
|- 
| 2nd || Swordsage 2 || +1 || +0 || +3 || +3 || || AC Bonus ||
|- 
| 3rd || Swordsage 3 || +2 || +1 || +3 || +3 || Weapon Finesse || || 
|- 
| 4th || Swordsage 4 || +3 || +1 || +4 || +4 || || Insightful Strike (Tiger Claw or Diamond Mind) || 
|- 
| 5th || Swordsage 5 || +3 || +1 || +4 || +4 || || Quick to Act +2 ||
|- 
| 6th || Swordsage 6 || +4 || +2 || +5 || +5 || Shifter Agility || ||
|- 
| 7th || Bloodclaw Master 1 || +4 || +4 || +7 || +5 || || Shifting +1/day, Claws of the Beast || 
|- 
| 8th || Bloodclaw Master 2 || +5 || +5 || +8 || +5 || || Superior Two-Weapon Fighting, Tiger Claw Synergy || 
|- 
| 9th || Weretouched Master 1 || +5 || +7 || +10 || +5 || Two-Weapon Defense || Weretouched I (Rat Weretouched Master) || 
|- 
| 10th || Weretouched Master 2 || +6 || +8 || +11 || +5 || Healing Factor || Wild Empathy ||
|- 
| 11th || Weretouched Master 3 || +7 || +8 || +11 || +6 || || Weretouched II ||
|- 
| 12th || Weretouched Master 4 || +8 || +9 || +12 || +6 || Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Shifter Defense || Frightful Shifting || 
|- 
| 13th || Weretouched Master 5 || +8 || +9 || +12 || +6 || || Alternate Form || 
|- 
| 14th || Bloodclaw Master 3 || +9 || +9 || +12 || +7 || || Pouncing Strike, Low-Light Vision, Shifting +2/day ||
|- 
| 15th || Bloodclaw Master 4 || +10 || +10 || +13 || +7 || Improved Two-Weapon Defense || Tiger Claw Synergy (Strike) || 
|- 
| 16th || Bloodclaw Master 5 || +10 || +10 || +13 || +7 || || Rending Claws, Scent, Shfiting +3/day ||
|- 
| 17th || Swordsage 7 || +11 || +10 || +13 || +7 || || Sense Magic || 
|- 
| 18th || Swordsage 8 || +12 || +10 || +14 || +8 || Greater Two-Weapon Fighting || Defensive Stance (Shadow Hand) ||
|- 
| 19th || Swordsage 9 || +12 || +11 || +14 || +8 || || Evasion ||
|- 
| 20th || Swordsage 10 || +13 || +11 || +15 || +9 || || Quick to Act +3 ||
|}

At level 20: [[Final Class Progression::Swordsage 10 / Bloodclaw Master 5 / Weretouched Master 5]]

== Items of Note ==

*+5 Mithral Shirt of Nimbleness
*+5 Shadow Hand Frost Flaming Shocking Corrosive Dagger (x2)

== Highlights ==

*Assumed stats at level 20:
**Dex: 16 (Base) + 2 (Racial) + 2 (Shifting) + 2 (Weretouched I) + 6 (Alternate Form) + 5 (Level) + 5 (Tome) + 6 (Item) = 44 (+17)
**AC: 10 + 8 (Bracers of Armor) + 17 (Dex) + 6 (Wis) + 5 (+5 Ring of Protection) + 5 (+5 Amulet of Natural Armor) + 2 (Improved Two-Weapon Defense) + 1 (Shifter Agility) = 54
**Attack Bonus: 13 (BAB) + 17 (Dex) + 8 (+5 Shadow Hand Daggers) + 1 (Weapon Focus) = +40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30
**Damage: 1d4 (Dagger) + 17 (Shadow Blade) + 4d6+5 (Magic) + 2d6 (Assassin's Stance) = 6d6+1d4+22
**Total damage per attack comes out to 45.5 (on average).
**Sample Attacks:
***Time Stands Still + Raging Mongoose (+6 damage from Insightful Strike): +40/+40/+40/+40/+40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30 x2 (51.5) does 896.1 damage when weighted against AC 40
***Pouncing Charge + Inferno Blade: +42/+42/+37/+37/+32/+32 (73) does 371.3 when weighted against AC 40

== Combat Sequence ==

*Shift, charge, and rip the opponent to shreds.

== Further Optimization ==

*Add the effects of the [[SRD:Sword_of_Subtlety|Sword of Subtlety]] to your daggers for an increase to attack and damage when Assassin's Stance activates.

=== Limitations ===

*Creatures with a lot of DR or those immune to Sneak Attack

=== DM Counters ===

*Usual melee defences apart from AC (illusions, concealment, distance, etc)

=== Variants ===

*Can pick up Swiftwing Elite instead of Healing Factor for better maneuverability.
*Taking the Longstride trait will give you a great move speed, which gives you better jump checks, which makes many of your Tiger Claw maneuvers more effective.
*Two-Weapon Defense and Improved Two-Weapon Defense are basically filler feats; you can trade them out for any others that you like better. Some of these include...
**Exotic Armor Proficiency for Twist Cloth armor (Races of Stone) for a greater AC at higher levels when your Dexterity bonus far outstrips the max allowed in most armor. You can also get this armor without taking the feat (see the particulars of the armor for details)
**Close-Quarters Fighting (Complete Warrior) for defense against grapplers
*Add in the Healing Factor feat (perhaps instead of Shifter Agility) to become... WOLVERINE-MANBAT. (After all, Bloodclaw Master gives you claws.) Pick up Shadow Jaunt to become... WOLVERINE-MANBAT-NIGHTCRLAWER. Add in proficiency with cards, a wand of Control Weather, and a level of Warlock to shoot beams from your eyes and you become... WOLVERINE-STORM-CYCLOPS-MANBAT-NIGHTCRAWLER-GAMBIT! And don't forget Shifter Defense; the DR allows us to be... COLOSSUS-WOLVERINE-STORM-CYCLOPS-MANBAT-NIGHTCRAWLER-GAMBIT!


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Article Balance	High +
Author	Ghostwheel +
Final Class Progression	Swordsage 10 / Bloodclaw Master 5 / Weretouched Master 5 +
Identifier	3.5e Optimized Character Build +
Race	Swiftwing Shifter +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Summary	The ultimate in shifter savagery, your twin daggers become a part of your body as you tear through foes. +
Title	Feral Shifter +